By-law Review
Consultation has concluded
Council By-Law Review 2022
You had your say on Council’s draft By-Laws and helped shape your city.
From pets to playgrounds, to waste to signage, the City of Mitcham By-Laws are established to ensure that Council can respond to issues within the local area and assist us in protecting the convenience, comfort and safety of our community.
Thank you for helping to shape our community By-laws.
During the consultation period, a total of 307 responses were received, the majority of feedback in relation to the cats by-law. All feedback received was reviewed and considered by Council.
At its meeting on Tuesday 9 August 2022, Council resolved to make the By-laws with some amendments to take into account community feedback and adopted .
Amendments included:
• Minor formatting and editorial changes.
• Removal of clause 9.7.2 of the Local Government Land By-law No. 3 of 2022, regulating the operation of vessels on waters on Local Government land.
• Clause 9.2 of the Dogs By-law No.5 of 2022 has been amended to clarify the on leash restriction applies only to the portion of the park on which organised sport is played and that organised sport is defined to include training.
• Clause 10.7 of the Local Government Land By-law No. 3 of 2022 has been amended to include reference to ‘recreational activities’.
Community feedback received in relation to By-law No. 6 – cats was extensive and very detailed in nature and Council resolved to endorse cat confinement as a strategy in relation to effective cat management and adopted the By-law to include:
• Effective 1 January 2024, all cats born or registered on or after 1 January 2024 will be required to be confined to a property (this means cats confined to the property, not having to be confined indoors), at all times. The proposed By-law is not designed to keep cats indoors at all times, cats can still go outside, as long as they remain on the residents property.
• As such, existing cats born or registered before 1 January 2024, do not have to be contained unless future By-law or state legislation changes occur, however the By-law also contains a clause in relation to cats creating a nuisance (this is an existing clause on the current by-law), therefore cat owners must continue to ensure their cats do not create a nuisance to other residents.
• The introduction of the new by-law will include a significant education and awareness program in relation to cat confinement.
The new By-laws will come into effect four months from the date of publication in the South Australian Government Gazette, and will come into effect on 1 January 2023.